If you have a hobby and you're thinking of turning it into a business. Welcome!There's a certain kind of validation in being able to create something that people will buy.
You might have a hobby crafting wood products, creating and designing greeting cards, doing needlepoint, painting, making candles, building guitars or violins. You've put a lot of TLC into your work. Perhaps
the time has come to consider turning that hobby into a business.
Hobbyists - turned - entrepreneurs come from all socioeconomic groups. Some are female executives. They've hit the glass ceiling and bailed
out. Others are people who are making a lot of money, but they're just plain sick of their jobs and want out. Still others have lost their jobs because of acquisitions, mergers or downscaling and couldn't
find another.
"there are two things afoot here," says Carol Ross, senior vice president of the New York based American Craft council. "There's the straight - out decision: I'm going to make a
business out of this. Other people back into it." They do something and it "sort of pushes the ball and it begins to roll and suddenly they find themselves in business," almost by
accident.
"There's a lot of interest in it," says George Saumweber, small business development specialist for the Small Business Administration. The SBA receives many calls from people who have a hobby
that has simply grown out of control.
When you're ready to cross the line from hobbyist to entrepreneur, you can find help at the University of St. Thomas' Small Business Development Center. Dick Daly, business
advisor for the center, said they offer help with the business plan, and with assessing what your startup needs are. In some cases they help with marketing assistance and refer entrepreneurs to other sources of
help.
You are most apt to succeed if you have worked part time on the idea - in the basement or garage for awhile.
